WAIS Nutrition | Festive Season Tips!!!

Sports Nutrition | Published:
Wed 19 December 2018

It is possible to eat well
during the festive season even when socialising with friends and family, with just
a little know-how and forward planning.

Here are a few simple food
and drink tips that can help you make choices that support your athletic goals
over the holiday period. They will help you enjoy your favourite festive foods
and create fantastic merry meal plans.

Include lots of seasonal, colourful fruits and
vegetables.

Fruits and vegetables will
add flavour, colour and nutrients to your festive favourites. They are lower in
kilojoules whilst being fibre rich, keeping you fuller for longer!

Avoid "restrictive” eating

Avoid mindsets such as "I
am going out tonight, so I better not eat much today” and deliberately under
eating during the day. Arriving at a function hungry can make it difficult to
eat purposefully and mindfully.

With a welcome drink in
your hand and an empty stomach, you will probably find yourself eating the
first thing you see and reaching for energy dense, nutrient poor foods which
can lead to eating them quickly.

Instead, eat your usual
healthy meals throughout the day, so that you can take the time to decide what
you really want to eat when out celebrating with friends.

Practice Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is a
flexible approach to food that focusses on you tuning into your hunger and
fullness cues, without putting into place strict food rules.

Eating out

It’s not always easy to
access healthy meals and snacks when you are eating out. The following information
provides tips on how to make the best nutrition choices when you are eating out
during the festive season:

Avoid being too hungry
when eating out. Do not under eat during the day to "compensate”

Salads are
healthy and nutrient rich, but be mindful of high fat dressings. It is a good
idea to order extra vegetables or salads when eating out as many menu options contain
low amounts of these foods.